Former Chapel Hill football head coach Geoff Pastrick has accepted the same position at South Cobb High School after a two-year stint with the Panthers.

The move comes after a tumultuous period when the Chapel Hill Touchdown Club was informed in late February that Pastrick was given the option of resigning or being terminated from his position by Principal Sean Kelly.

“We’re disappointed that coach Pastrick has left because the long-term plans for the program have been stalled and the boys may suffer,” club president Steve Moody said.

Pastrick began his first full week at South Cobb this past Monday.

“I’m excited about South Cobb because it has a great administration, a winning tradition with good facilities and wants to make the kids better,” Pastrick said.

Despite the difficult departure from Chapel Hill, Pastrick still has positive thoughts about his former program.

“I’m proud of how the kids improved on the field and in the classroom while establishing a winning attitude,” he said.

Pastrick returns to Cobb County, where he was an assistant coach at McEachern before taking the Chapel Hill position. He led the Panthers, which had five region wins last season, to the state playoffs in both seasons as head coach

Chapel Hill must now begin the search for a new head coach. An email to Kelly pertaining to the Panthers’ job search was not returned by deadline.

“Our program isn’t in a position for a restart because coach Pastrick changed our direction in a positive way,” Moody said. “We would like to have an experienced head coach who can come here and hit the ground running.”

Chapel Hill, which has spent the past two years in Class 3A, will move up to Class 5A this upcoming fall and join the same region as fellow Douglas County programs Alexander, Lithia Springs and New Manchester.

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